Our Background

Toiling women have long been at the forefront of the people’s resistance against imperialism and capitalism. Their relentless fight against exploitation and oppression saw the advancement of women’s rights and interests in the past century.

However, these victories are being reversed as imperialist and capitalist intervention and aggression intensify amid the worst economic and financial crisis currently rocking the capitalist system. Imperialism is waging a war, not only through bombs and bullets, but more alarmingly through globalization policies and programs that aggravate exploitation and oppression of women all over the world.

In the face of deepening crisis, however, women – who comprise half of the struggling peoples – chose to continue the fight against imperialism and capitalism.

During the 3rd International Conference of the International League of People’s Struggle held in Hong Kong in June 2008, the Women’s Commission resolved to hold an international conference of women in 2010 – the centennial year of International Toiling Women’s Day – to advance women’s participation in the people’s struggle against imperialist and capitalist aggression.

The Montreal International Women’s Conference. They participated in the discussion on the historical exploitation and oppression of women, the current global economic and financial crisis and its impact on women, and the experiences and strategies of resistance among local and national women liberation movements.

The conference proved to be a milestone for women: on August 16, women formed the International Women’s Alliance, the first step in advancing and strengthening a militant global women’s liberation movement of the 21st century.